To the labourer his tools '- English archer and equipment 1375- 1435

This shows not only a typical archer of the middle period of the

' Hundred Years War ', but also equipment and weapons typical to the bowman. He is equipped with a close fitting bascinet

helmet and wears a ' jack ', a fabric body armour through which metal plates are riveted to give extra protection, both items are shown in more detail in the exploded drawings.

The bascinet has lugs around the base of the skull through which a cord could be threaded from which hung a mail aventail which protected the neck. Such an item is shown on the mounted figure of the French knight.

The archer carries his great yew war bow unstrung and a large wooden mallet or maul which was used for planting the defensive stakes used by archer as a screen against cavalry, this tool could also make a good weapon of last resort.

The man is armed with a heavy, cleaver like, ' Falchion ' sword and a phallic shaped dagger commonly known as a ' bollock ' dagger. He also carries a ' buckler ', a small metal shield used at arms length for parrying blows. All these items are detailed in the surrounding drawings.

The man's arrows are carried in a canvas arrow bag and details of the type of arrows are shown, featuring a broad head, an armour piercing bodkin head and a general purpose arrowhead now known as a ' type 16 ' from surviving examples in the Museum of London.